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Friday, January 28, 2011

WATCH THE EVER RARE JUDO GROUND GAME IN ACTION.

Judo is a great martial art, but I disagree with its new rules. What was once a lethal combat art is turning into a contact sport with only limited application to a real fight. While international Judoka are still top notch athletes, the increasing restrictions on the techniques they may use is incredibly hampering, especially given what the art used to be. Moreover, these rules may have moved the sport away from what Jigoro Kano wanted for his art in competition and training. For example, even basic moves like Katagaruma (Fireman’s Carry) are now illegal in competition. They exist in kata, why shouldn’t they be allowed in shiai as well? If anything, the increasing number of rules placed on Judo will only hurt the sport. Students seeking a grappling system for self-defense will gravitate to Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Sombo, where the emphasis is still on the activity as a martial art.

Yet despite this regression, Judo remains popular overseas –- at least for now. DSTRYRsg just had to share this exciting finish from the 2010 GP Qindao with you. Watch this match: thank goodness Yoko Tomoe Nage is still legal, as well as the jujigatame. With Judo’s ever restrictive rule changes, there may be a time in the near future where even these techniques are forbidden. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be surprised if that happened.

I'm no expert, but I believe your take on Judo is incorrect. Founder Jigaro Kano created Judo as a full-contact sport manifestation of Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, a martial art that lacked full-contact training and competition. Judo IS a "contact sport" and not intended to be a "lethal combat art."

Dr. Jigoro Kano developed Judo as a safer Jiu-Jitsu without all the breaks and such. Take yourself back to before the 1900s and think to yourself how many qualified doctors there were. Not many. Many of the practitioners of jiu-jitsu would get hurt and not able to practice any more. Dr. Kano made judo so that it could be taught in schools without fear of injury. I will agree what the IJF has done to sport judo is blasphemy. That being said my local club still practices the ART of judo not the sport. Judo is about the mutual well being of the practitioners and learning the art. Not winning.